Cascade and East Grand Rapids join Fashion's Night Out initiative

The countdown is on—at least online.A countdown clock with days, hours, minutes, and seconds is available on a national site as well as a variety of local websites dedicated to Fashion’s Night Out.

The after-hours shopping event, which began in New York City three years ago, is designed to encourage customers to enjoy fashion and splurge on a night on the town. Fashion's Night Out 2011 takes place in Grand Rapids on Sept. 8 with stores and specialty shops in East Grand Rapids and Cascade on board.

“Our goal is to heighten awareness of local stores, boost the industry's economy, and put the fun back in shopping at various stores throughout Grand Rapids,” said organizers.

The push to for the national event to include Grand Rapids stores was headed by Jim Murray general manager of A.K. Rikk’s in Cascade Township. Intrigued by the original event in 2009, Murray hoped to attend in New York City the following year. But when he found he was unable to leave town, he decided to bring it here.

“They wanted to keep it in the vogue cities, like Dubai, London, and New York, but I bugged them enough, they decided to “just let this guy from Grand Rapids do it.”

The first year the local night out was pretty much a private party, but then store owners started calling Murray, and this year Fashion’s Night Out Grand Rapids is big.

“We (local store owners) figured out we are not each other’s competition; we’re each others’ friends." The idea to save the fashion industry globally, locally means: encouraging buyers to find the things they desire without a “ladies day to shop in Chicago.”

“We are creating a way to show the incredible options here and negate the Chicago spending,” said Murray. With more than 60 retailers already signed on and more adding each day, the event is still growing.

In East Grand Rapids, stores will be open until 11 p.m., live music will greet shoppers in Regatta Plaza, red carpet runways will feature store offerings, and refreshments and treats, from chocolate-covered strawberries to champagne, will be available, said Gaslight Village Business Association president Chad Zagel.

“This is another chance to showcase what we have to offer,” said Zagel.

There will also be free trolley service from Gaslight Village to the Cherry Street business district and downtown. T-shirts and other commemorative items will be sold with 40 percent of the proceeds benefiting the New York City AIDS Fund.